An unidentified flying object is a UFO.
This term has taken on a life of its own in our culture. UFO can mean many things to many peoples. Some strictly use it by definition ie. a flock of seagulls in the distance, a weather balloon, some kid threw a football really high and you don’t know what it is. Unidentified and in the sky. Others use this term as to what it, ultimately, could mean: alien spacecraft or a sign of alien intelligence.
Now, there is no argument that most UFOs are completely benign and can be explained through investigation of the sighting. How “UFO” took on a life of its own is due to some extraordinary cases and events that I will give a, hopefully, comprehensive analysis of.